A businessman, Anthony Ibe, on Friday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos charged with receiving stolen inverter batteries.

Ibe, 30, who is a resident of No. 44, Church St., Oshodi, Lagos, was arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and receiving stolen properties.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Prosecutor, Police Insp. Peter Nwangwu, told the court that the accused committed the offences on July 16 at Arena Shopping Complex, Oshodi, Lagos, at 8.00 a.m.

According to him, the accused and his accomplice, one Monday Ogbonna, who is still at large, specialised in vandalizing telecommunications installations, solar panels and stealing inverter batteries and accessories.

“Ibe received 16 pieces of stolen inverter batteries from Ogbonna who is now at large, knowing same to have been stolen.

“The accused was apprehended by the police at Mowo in Badagry on the outskirts of Lagos while trying to escape with the stolen items.

“He was arrested in a Mazda car with registration number MUS 170 XW and could not give satisfactory explanation of the stolen items,” Nwangwu said.

The offences contravened Sections 328 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 328 provides a seven-year jail term for receiving stolen property.

Chief Magistrate Yewande Aje-Afunwa granted N300,000 bail to the accused with two responsible sureties in like sum.

Aje-Afunwa said that the sureties must be blood relations of the accused, adding that they should show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government